Samuel lawson



2 Sheets Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

S. LAWSON.

GAS ENGINE.

N. Pains. Phnwumngmpner. wnsningm n c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. LAWSON. GAS ENGINE (No Model.)

No. 402,749. Patented May '7, 1889.

a. 1: @M w SIIIJII NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL LAVSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ALONZO T. WELCH, OF SAME PLACE. l

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,749, dated May 7, 1889.

Application filed August 4, 1888. Serial No. 281,998. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL LAWSON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Gas-Engines; and

the following is declared to be a description of the same.

My present application is one of a series of like date herewith, in which Oase A is the principal or foundation application, the other 1o cases in the series being O and D, and the serial numbers of A, C, and D being 281,997, 281,999, and 232,000.

My invention relates to improvements which simplify all gas-engines; and the same con- I 5 sists, essentially, in improvements in the valves for admitting gas and air in regulated quantities within the cylinder and exploding the same, the object of my invention being to insure a reliable and positive admission of zo highly-explosive quantities of gas and air into the cylinder of the gas-engine, and also to insure and control the action of the igniting-flame by which the gas and air are regularly exploded in operating the engine.

In carrying out my invention I employ, in

combination with a supporting-case, a cylinder, piston, connecting-rod, and driving-shaft and exhaust-valve, the valve-case and two-part tubular valve and mechanism for alternately 3o operating the parts from the driving-shaft of the engine, said valves having beveled seats and ports for admitting gas and air and ports for admitting gas, and the flame for igniting the same, and for admitting the igniting- 3 5 flame into the cylinder to ignite the combined gas and air therein to operate the engine, the movements of the piston acting to draw in a charge of combined gas and air to compress the same before it is ignited and to exhaust 4o the same after the charge has been ignited,

the igniting of the combined air and gas being at every second downstroke of the piston.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved gas-engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, in larger size, of the valve; and Fig. et is a vertical section of the parts shown in Fig.

3 and at right angles thereto.

The cylinder A is provided with a water- 5o jacket, B, and in said cylinder is a piston, C, and the connectinglrod D is pivoted to said piston at one end, and the other end is connected to the crank E, which crank is keyed to the main shaft F, and these parts are all supported by the cast standard or frame G, and at H there is an exhaust-valve and case, and a stem, 6, and spring 7, connected therewith, and the valve in the case l-I is operated by the cam K and roller 3, and on the shaft of the cam K is a gear, 24, and on the main 6o shaft F is a gear, 23, the gear 23 bearing the relation to the gear 24 of one to two, and there are pipes 12 and 13 for admitting gas and air, and a valve-case, L, from which there is a port opening into the cylinder A, and these parts just named are the same as those having like letters of reference described in my application Oase A.

The special features of my improvement in my present application relate to the valves 7o for admitting gas and air in regulated quantities within the cylinder and to the mechanism for operating the same. The valve-case L is made in two part-s, aa the lower portion being connected to the cylinder of the engine, and the upper portion, a', screwed within the same.

Vithin the upper portion, ct', there is a tubular valve, b, having ports 2 3 4, by which air and gas are admitted into the valve and 8o discharged therefrom into the cylinder of the engine; andthere is a stem, b', having a yoke end, and said stem passes through the top of the portion a', and is secured in the top of the valve b, and there is an arm or tubular hub, c o', secured to the side of thevalve b, the valve-case a being slotted for the arm c, and the lower portion of the tubular valve h is formed with a beveled seat at 1.

The hollow piston CZ is adapted to be moved 9o up and down in the valve-case a by the con'- necting-rod c', pivoted thereto at one end and connected to the gear 24 at its other end, andy there is a valve, e, having a beveled seat, and a valve-stem, e', having a yoked end and con- 95 nected to said valve and passing through the body of the hollow piston d, and said piston (l has ports 14 15 16, and there is a gas-inlet pipe, Z, through the valve-ease L. There are rocking levers ff', pivoted at g g to arms seroo cured at the opposite ends of the parts ct a of the valve-case, and one end of each of said arms f f passes into the yoked ends of the stems b e', and there is a helical spring whose opposite ends are connected, respectively, to the ends of the rocking arms ff', and said helical spring 7i acts to keep the valves Z) and e tightly upon their seats, and there is an opening through the portion (Z of the case, and alongside of said opening is the burner 30, the fiame of which is drawn periodically through the opening in the case, as hereinafter described, and there is a rod, Zt, having a head at its upper end and passing through the tubular hub c', and pivotally connected at its lower end to the stud that connects t-he rod t' to the hollow piston (Z.

The operation of the device is as follows: The position of the parts shown in the figures of the drawings being presumed to be just before the ignition of the charge of gas and air previously7 admitted into the cylinder A, the further movement of the gear 24 in the direction shown by the arrow raises the rod /Z and elevates the piston cZ and lifts the valve e off its seat, so that the ignited gas contained within the hollow portion of said piston may escape into the port 3 and ignite and explode the combined air and gas in the cylinder A. The piston C by said explosion is forced down, turning the crank E and main shaft F and the gears 23 24 and parts connected therewith. On the up movement of the piston the spent gases are exhausted to a large extent from the cylinderAby the valve and case H, which are opened by the cam K, roller 8, and rod 6. The further downward movement of the piston C draws in a charge of combined gas and air in the following manner: The rod Z as it descends draws down the rod Zt, and as soon as the head of said rod strikes the tubular hub c it draws down the valve Z), bringing the ports 3 4 in opposition to the air and gas pipes l2 13 and opening the port 2 to the port s, and admitting thereby combined air and gas into the cylinder A, the valve c meanwhile being closed; but simultaneously with this operation the hollow piston (Z is also drawn down and its port 16 opened to the gas-pipe Z, so that a quantity of gas is allowed to flow into the hollow piston CZ. The further upward movement of the piston C as the crank E revolves compresses the charge of combined air and gas within the cylinder, and the helical spring Zz, by its contraction as the rod 7e is raised, draws the valve Z) tightly to its seat at l, closing off the supply of gas and air, and this movement is quite rapid; and with every second upstroke of the piston C the rod z' is raised, and the hollow piston CZ is also raised, and the supply of gas from the pipe Z is closed off, the port 14 is opened, so that the fiame from the burner 30 ignites the gas within the hollow piston, and the port 14 is closed off from the flame of the burner 30 before the piston CZ reaches its highest point. Said piston CZ reaches its highest point and again raises the valve e off its seat by contact with its lower surface, this happening after the piston C has compressed the combined air and gas in the cylinder A and the crank E has passed its dead-center and commenced its downward stroke, the act of raising the valve c off its seat allowing the igniting gas within the hollow piston (Z to escape into and through the port s, igniting and exploding the combined air and gas in the cylinder A, the helical spring h acting to draw the valve e again tightly to its seat as soon as the hollow piston (Z commences its descent, and the operation of the parts is thus continuously repeated.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, in a gas-engine, of a tubular valve closed at both ends and having ports for the gas and air, an ignitor, and a hollow piston having ports for admitting gas, for admitting the flame for igniting said gas, and for passing the fiame to the cylinder, and mechanism, substantially as specified, for operating said valve and piston, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,in a gas-engine, with a valve-case and pipes for supplying gas and air and a burner having an igniting-fiame, of a tubular valve having ports for admitting gas and air, a hollow piston having a port for admitting gas and ports for igniting said gas and allowing the ignited gas to escape, and a valve and stem and mechanism, substantially as herein described and shown, for operating the valve and piston, substantially as set forth.

3. In a gas-engine, the combination, with the cylinder and piston, the driving-shaft, and connecting mechanism, of the valve-case composed of the parts a a and having beveled seats, the tubular valve ZJ, having ports 2 3 4 for gas and air, a hollow piston, cZ, having ports l-t l5 1G, for admitting gas and an igniting-fiame and for passing the flame to the cylinder, a pipe, Z, for admitting gas into said hollow piston, the valve e, having a valvestem, and mechanism, substantially as herein shown and described, for imparting a downward movement to the valve Z), an upward movement to the piston CZ and valve e, and for moving said valves to their seats, substantially as set forth.

Ll. In a gas-engine, the combination, with the two-part valve-case a a', having beveled seats and p ipes for supplying gas and air, of the tubular valve ZJ, having ports 3 4 5, the stem b and arm, and tubular hub c c', connected to the valve ZJ, the hollow piston (Z, having ports la l5 1G, the valve e, and a valve-stem, e', connected therewith and passing through the piston (Z, pivoted levers ff', connected at one of their ends to the stems ZJ and e', and a helical spring, ZL, connected to the other ends of said levers and acting to keep said valves upon their seats, a rod, 1'., connected to the piston CZ, and mechanism, substantially as specified, for operating the same, and an arm, Zo, connected to the pivot IOO IlO

of the rod ri and to the hub oi 2mn c c" of the valve b, whereby, when the piston is drawn down, the valve is operated, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a gas-engine, of a Valve-oase, the hollow sliding Valve and pist0n having ports for air, gas, and Iche flame, and conical Valves at the ends of the hollow valve and piston for closing the passage-way leading to che engine-Cylinder, substantially 1o as specified.

Signed by ine this 20th day of July, 1888.

SAMUEL LAWSON.

lVitnesses GEO. T. PINCKNEY, HAROLD SERRELL. 

